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J. A. B. SMITH.

TYPEIWRITING MACHINE. 7 APPLICATION FILED MAY14. 19m.

Patented June 24, 1919.

I Winesses- UN ED STATESPAZPENT OFFICE;

JESSE, A. B. 'smrrrr, or srimronn, connnc'rrcnr, nssren'on 'ro'UNnEnwoon' TYPE WRITER COMPANY Q13 YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OFDELAWARE.

Stamford in the county of Fairfield and State of Uonnecticut, haveinvented certain new' and useful Improvements in Type- Writing Machines,of which the following is a specification. I

Th's invention relates to typewriting machines, and is illustrated inconnection with a so-called fan-fold typewriting machine of theUnderwood type embodyin improvements shown in the patent to ernery andSmith, No. 1,132,055. The machine herein disclosed also'embodies certainof the features shown in myco-pending application,

Serial No.=-151,888, filed March 2,1917 (now Patent No. 1,281,087, datedOctober 8,1918).

g the carbon copies thereof. This cuttingv In: such machines, thetypewriter platen is adapted to be swung up clear of the usual feedrolls, which normally cooperate with it,' to permit a web or work-sheetto be drawn forwardly beneath the platen insubstantially a straightline," in order to enable a worksheet. to. be cut off by a knife.

clear of. the .carbonsheets used-in writing ofl is usually done bydrawin the sheet against; a fixed or movable kni e while the sheetisheld bythe'usual feed rolls, the platen having been swung 1nto placeto hold the work-sheet againstthe feed rolls.

An object of the invention is to provide foreven and neat severingof'the web, even '85\whe'n it is "of unusually tough paper.

In order to enablev this cutting to beaccurately and cleanly efiectedmore rapidly and conveniently than has heretofore been possible, Iprovide a clamp which-is adapted to firmly hold the web agalnst a solldpart of the carriage, while a section is being sevcred, thus preventingany possibility of slipping of. the work-sheet around the later). at thesevering operation, thereby insuring that the new cd e will be smoothThis latter 0 ject is especially desirable when the work-sheets are.used

as letters, orother documents, to be sent tocustomers, especially. ifwritten on lined pa er, or in thenature of forms which are fil ed outalong predetermined lines. By

I positively detaining. the work-sheet while bein torn, it is possibleto have atear which will e .50 clear and straight that the customerreceiving the written-out work-sheet TYPE-WRITING MACHINE will beimpressed with its neatness, and not be offended by the untidyappearance of any irregular edge thereon, such as has hitherto.militated against sending such work-sheets to customers in the formofletters or invoices. J

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear. H

In the accompanying drawings. Flgure 1 is a, fragmentary perspectiveview of so much of an Underwood typewrit ing machine, embodying myinvention, as

will' illustrate some of the utilities thereof.

- Fig. 2 is a sectional side view of the same, showing the holding'barinefl'ective. i

. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but

severed, and

showing a work-sheetv :bein

the main body of'the web bemg held bythe holding bar.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but shows how the invention may beapplied advantageously to one form of machine now in use.

- In the Underwood fan-fold typewriting machine disclosed insaid patentto Wernery and Smith, type-bars 10istrikeagainst the front side ofaplaten 11, of which the axle 12 is journaled in end plates 13* of a'frame, the latterhinged on a transverse rod 14 at the front of thetypewriter carriage.

The work-sheet 15 is usually in the form of a fan-fold web havingseveral plies which are passed down over a paper table '16 at the rearof-the platen, then under the platen past feed'rolls 17 and 18, and upast the front side of the platenbeyond a nife 19 onto a front papertable 20. The work-sheet 15, is advanced around the 'laten by operatinthe usual line-space. han le 21, which is e ective to rotate said platenthrough a pinion 22 meshing with an idler 23 journaled on the shaft orrod 14, which idler in turn meshes witha pinion 24 fast on the platenaxle, substantially as shown in said Patent to Wernery and Smith. When'a work-form has been filled out and y it is desired to detach thefilled-out form 25 from the'web 15, the platen is swung to its upperposition, as described in said patent, the end of the web being drawnagainst the adjustable end gage 26 on-the, end of asupport 27, while theside of the web isgaged against the side gage 28. The platen is usuallythen swung back into place, so that the web 15 is gripped fairly firmlybetweenthe feed rolls 17 and 18 and the platen 11, and then thefilled-out form 25 is detached from the body of-the web by drawing itagainst the knife 19 lying along the platen, as indicated in Fig. 3.

Where the web comprises a considerable number of plies, or where the webis of a somewhat slippery material, or is of paper difii-cult to sever,there .is apt to be slipping of the web during the severing operation,with the result that instead of showing a straight edge, or an edge atright angles to the edge of the web, the severed work-sheet may show acurved edge, or one running at an angle to the work-sheet. To preventthis slipping, I utilize the flat surface forming the upper part of thepaper table 16 as a gripping surface by providing a grippin or holdingplate 31 adapted to hold the we at the edge from which the cuttingstarts.

For convenience, the plate 31 may be in the form of a flat bail or barmounted to swing in brackets 32 at the opposite ends of the paper-table16. To enable it to be mounted in this way, the plate 31 may be mountedon rock arms 33 fast on the shaft 34, said shaft being journaled in thebrackets 32. To swing the gripping plate 31 to effective position, theremay be fast to the shaft 34 a finger-piece 35 extending upwardly fromthe shaft and formed as an extension of one of the arms 33. Thisfinger-piece 35 may be drawn forward in Fig. 1 by the lefthand thumb orfinger 'of-theoperative, to carry the holding plate 31 rearwardlyagainst the paper table 16 against the tension of the spring 36 whichencircles the shaft 34 and normally holds the gripping plate 31 clear ofthe paper table 16 When a work-sheet is thus gripped, as illustrated inFig. 3, the operative may tear off the work-sheet 25 by grasping saidwork-sheet with the right hand at the upper left-hand corner 37 andpulling it so as to, tear it against the edge of the knife 19.

In order to enable the gripping plate 31 to get a firm hold on,thework-sheets, the gripping face thereofmay be knurled or provided withfile-teeth of'such a nature that they will not mar the appearance of thefront or outside ply of the webs. This is not diflicult ofaccomplishment, because the knurled face 38 presses the web against theflat metal surface of the paper table 16, with the result that althoughthe projections of the knurled surface will make an imprint on the sheetor ply against which they directly lie, they will make little or noimprint on other plies which are protected by the ply against which theknurled :face adtually bears. v

By having the gripping plate 31, the necessity is avoided of having avery close fit between the pin.39 andthe latch 40, which is usuallydepended on o hold the platen 11 firmly enough against the feed rolls 17and 18 to keep the web from slipping. This avoidingof a close fitbetween the pin 39 and the latch 40 enables said latch and pin to be soshaped that they will engage each other more certainly and rapidly thanwould otherwise be possible.

In order to prevent the plate 31 from being swung too high and toprevent rattling, there is provided a fixed pin 41 against which thespring 36 will normally hold the lug 42, thereby holding the plate 31clear of the table 16 and at its most convenient position for theinsertion ofnew webs.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the gripping plate 31 is illustrated as applied toa machine embodying the knife, described and claimed in my priorapplication No. 217 ,302,-filed February 15, 1918, and to a machinewhich has a flat table 16 running upwardly from the rear feed roll 1 7Many fan-fold machines are of the type shown in Fig. 4, wherein the rearpaper table 16 is provided with a steep portion 43 near the upper endthereof, and a less steep portion 44 at the lower portion thereof. Inthis form of machine, it may be found preferable to place the grippingplate 31 rearwardly of a shaft 45 which corresponds in every way to theshaft 34, except that it lies nearer the front paper table 20. Thisbrings the grip ping plate 31 to the position where it gripshorizontally against a flat portion 46,. extending rearwardly from theupper portion of the paper table 16, thereby enabling the gripping plateto get, in effect, a stronger hold on the webs 15, since the webs turnthe corner 47 between the gripping plate 31 and the platen 11. Wherethis form of construction is used, the arms 48, on which the grippingplate is carried inFig. 4, are nearly horizontal arms, and thefinger-piece 49, by

which the gripping plate is madeefi'ective, is moved rearwardly insteadof forwardly.

; Consequently, the spring 36 (not shown in Fig. 4) will in said figurebe effective in the reverse direction, and a pin 50, corresponding infunction to the pin 41, lies on the opposite side of the lug 42 to holdthe grippirig plate in its normal position.

ariatlon's'may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, andportions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a typewriting machine, the combination with-a revoluble platen, ofa papertable at the introductory side of said platen, aknife at thedelivery side of said platen, against which a web may be drawn to besevered, and a device to grip the web against the paper-table\to holdthe web while the front portion thereof is being severed by the knife.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a revoluble platen andfeedrolls adapted to hold a web against the platen, of a knife beyondsaid platen adapted to sever sections fromthe we and a gripping deviceincluding a finger-piece adapted so that sections may be torn off, agrippingv device behind the platen adapted to co6perate with thepaper-table in holding the web, and a finger-piece adapted to make saidgripping device effective.

4, In a typewriting machine, the combination with a revoluble platen, ofa papertable adapted to deliver a web behind said platen, a knifebeyound said platen against which said web may be drawn to be torn off,a device having a knurled surface, and a finger-piece adapted to gripthe web by said surface to hold the web while the front portion thereofis being torn off.

5. In a typewritin machine, the combination' with a revolu 1e platen, ofa papertable adapted to deliver a web behind said platen, a knife beyondsaid platen by which said web may be torn off, a gripping plateextending across said table adapted to grip the web against thepaper-table to hold the web while the front portion thereof is beingtorn off by the knife, and a fingerpiece for making the gripping plateeffective.

6. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a revoluble platen, ofa papertable adapted to deliver a web behind said platen, a knife beyondsaid platen against which said web may be drawn to be torn off, i

a an extension of said paper-table forming an angle therewith, aboutwhich angle said. web

turns, a gripping plate adapted to grip theedge of the web. against saidextension to hold' the web whilethe front portion there of is being tornoff, and a finger-piece for making said gripping plate effective.

7. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a revoluble platen, ofa papertable adapted to deliver a web behind said platen, a knife beyondthe. platen against which the web may be drawn to be torn off, anextension of said paper-table forming an angle therewith, around whichangle the web turns fairly sharply, a gripping device adapted to gripthe left-hand edge of the web to hold the web while the front portionthereof is being torn off by the knife, and a finger-piece adapted to beoperated by the left hand of the operator to make the gripping deviceeffective.

8. In a'typewritmg machine, the combination with a revoluble platen, ofa papertable adapted to deliver a web behind said platen, a knife beyondsaid platen against which said web may be drawn to be torn off, a bailextending across said paper-table forming a gripping member adapted togrip the web against the paper-table, brackets in which said bail ismounted, a spring normally holding it clear of the paper-table, andafinger-piece for making it effective to grip the web.

9. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a revoluble platen, ofa paper-ta'ble adapted to deliver a web behind said platen, a knifebeyond said platen against which said web may be drawn to be torn off,an extension of said table forming a fairly sharp angle with the rest ofthe table, a bail extending across the length of said extension having asurface adapted to grip the web against the extension, a shaft on whichsaid bail is mounted, a spring normally effective tohold the bail clearof the extension, and a finger-piece for making the bail efiective togrip the web.

1.0. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a revoluble platen,and means ,to feed a Web around the same, of a websevering knife at thedeliver side of the platen, and normally ineffective manuallyoperablemeans to engage-the Web to detain it while it is being severed by meansof the knife, said detaining means being mounted to engage the web atthe introductory side of the machine in rear of the platen.-

. 1 JESSE A. B. SMITH. Witnesses:

CATHERINE A. NEwELL, EDITH B. LIBBEY.

